A Sudan Church of Christ (SCOC) building was demolished on 17 May in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, ten days after the destruction of another SCOC building in nearby Soba, 12 miles south of the city.
The church had been there since 1983. However, another person recently claimed ownership, but refused to provide any proof. The authorities then demanded that the church vacate the land. Even when the church showed ownership documents, the authorities refused to hear the case.
The two SCOC churches were part of a list of 27 churches listed last year for destruction by the Sudanese Government, which claims they were in violation of the designated purposes of the land they were built on. The churches had challenged the government’s order, but their appeal was rejected in April.
Distinction of land use
The legal basis was apparently a decision taken in 2014, which introduced a distinction of land use into four categories (worship, residential, commercial and government) and which prohibits the construction of churches on land not designated for worship. It seems that some of the structures in question were built before the 2014 decision.
